


To Err is to be Alive

by twosidedcoin



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Gen, Parent Donald Duck, Scrooge and Della mentioned, The Last Crash of the Sunchaser, The Spear of Selene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-26 05:13:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15656472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twosidedcoin/pseuds/twosidedcoin
Summary: The thing about secrets is that someone always tends to find out, and that they're usually the ones affected the most by them.





	To Err is to be Alive

“We know about the Spear of Selene.”

Huey and Louie’s faces matched the tone of Dewey’s voice- angry and bitter and betrayed- and it made something inside Donald shrivel up and die. His boys had no reason to look like that, and they certainly had no business looking like that in terms of anything related to the Spear of Selene.

He hadn’t wanted to tell them- wanted to get them as far away from that mess as quickly as he could- and as they grew he found he hadn’t really wanted them to find out at all- and not just because he’d been afraid of them getting hurt, though he’d be lying if he said that thought hadn’t kept him awake many a nights.

He’d also been scared of how they’d react once the initial shock and hurt subsided, though. He hadn’t wanted them to hate Uncle Scrooge or Della. He hadn’t wanted them to ever feel like he had- the mix of burning rage and the empty grief.

So Donald had cut everyone involved in the whole situation out of their life, but the realization that he was now the closest thing to a father the boys had sobered even that toxic concoction of emotions. Then it was just sad realization that Della never got the chance to meet her kids, and Uncle Scrooge had just seemed to disappear both emotionally and physically from the world.

His uncle made it into the news, of course, and Donald was aware that he was still alive but as far as public appearances he seemed to just be gone. Then the kids were hatched and Donald had been otherwise distracted, and when they were old enough to ask what had happened to their parents he’d just told them that they were gone, and that he would always be there for them to save them from the same angry betrayal Donald had felt forever ago.

Now all his fears had come to light.

“Oh,” he whispered softly, voice sad and reminiscent and guilty because he hadn’t been there- he should have been there.

The boys filed on the boat, heads bowed and eyes downcast, and he wished he knew what to say but he didn’t. He’d never gotten the chance to properly mourn the loss of his sister as he’d been too busy raising her children, and he loved them but he’d loved his sister and uncle as well and Donald had never wanted to choose between his boys or his uncle and sister.

Ten years ago he’d thought the decision had been easy. The boys had been young and needed someone to take care of them and Donald had.

Then the boys had managed to impossibly lead Scrooge back into his life, and Donald had thought that maybe he could find it in himself to come to terms about what had happened. Now he had to choose between the boys and his uncle once again, and though it hurt the decision had still been simple.

He’d picked his boys. He’d always pick his boys- a fact he’d accepted a long time ago- but he’d seen Scrooge with them and knew Scrooge loved them just as fiercely as Donald did. That was why after he moved them all back to the marina he’d immediately sat the boys down in an attempt to figure out what had happened.

He hadn’t gone. He should have, but it had just supposed to be a simple trip. Scrooge and Mrs. Beakley should have been able to handle it.

_Why hadn’t they been able to handle it?_

The boys had obeyed with only slight reluctance- if nothing else, when they’d piled onto the living room couch they had moved on to pouting. Their arms were crossed, and they were huddled together so some part of them was touching another- a coping mechanism they’d adapted when they were younger.

Donald swallowed thickly before asking, “What happened?”

No one jumped to answer. Louie leant back into the couch, arms crossed and hoodie pulled tightly over his head. His brothers sat on either side of him- aware of how sensitive Louie could be and just how dependent on physical contact he was.

Dewey’s legs were crossed and he was matching Louie’s poor posture so his shoulders pressed against his brother’s. Huey was sitting on the edge, his and Louie’s knees touching. His arms were folded over his legs as he sat hunched over and though he usually tried to be strong in times such as these- for his brothers- it was obvious he was hurting.

They all were. His _babies_ were hurting because they’d discovered something that should have never even happened to begin with. Scrooge and Della should have just _listened_ _to_ Donald when he’d said that they shouldn’t try to go out into space. The boys were on the way and building a spaceship was _a mistake_.

Now the boys (and Donald imagined Mrs. Beakley and Webby as well, considering he’d caught sight of them storming out of the mansion with full bags and hurt expressions) were the ones suffering.

“ _Boys_ ,” Donald sighed, rubbing his face and feeling old, “I think we need to finally have a conversation about your mother?”

“What’s left to say?” Dewey demanded venomously, “She got on Scrooge’s fancy unfinished ship and now she’s gone. We’re sorry for ever thinking Scrooge was ever cooler than you.”

Donald’s face fell, but the words didn’t hurt. Scrooge was rich and went on wild adventures and was able to accomplish the near impossible task of entertaining kids with a single activity- especially these kids, _his_ kids.

“It’s okay boys,” Donald reassured them as he hunched over to engulf them in a tight hug, which they welcomed greatly, “I just want you three to remember that I’ll be here for you three no matter what.”

“We know Uncle Donald,” Huey promised fiercely, “We love you.”

“I love you too,” Donald responded, his shoulder wet from their silent tears.

And Donald didn’t know what Scrooge had told them. He didn’t know what they thought they knew, and what they actually knew. He was still foggy on some of the details himself, but that didn’t matter because he knew his boys’ hearts.

They were hurting, and it may take some time but they’d eventually learn to forgive. They’d realize that hiding from their problems- that pretending that they didn’t exist- wouldn’t make them go away, and he knew that he’d help anyway he could to get them there- like they’d once done for him.

Because Scrooge was family and family was stronger together.


End file.
